Your Back & Pregnancy

by Heather Long | More from this Blogger

One of the most common problems you may encounter during pregnancy is back pain. It's unsurprising that your back will hurt when you are carrying an additional 30 pounds of weight in your abdominal area and your center of gravity changes. Also the s-shaped curve of your back is deeply accentuated. This increases the stress on both your upper and your lower back.

Your breasts also grow significantly larger when you are pregnant. The engorgement begins by the end of the first trimester and this increases the amount of stress on your upper and lower back. So back pain is not remotely surprising, what would surprise me more is for a woman to experience no back problems or back pain during her pregnancy. So what is a woman to do?

Body Mechanics

A good understanding of body mechanics is your best aids in combating back pain in pregnancy. Here are good body mechanics:

• Avoid bending from the waist when picking up objects from the floor
• Step one foot forward and bend from the knees to lift for objects from the floor
• Do not lift heavy objects
• Practice good posture in the mirror every morning
• Practice good posture checks throughout the day
• Do flexibility exercises to help relieve tiredness and aches (put yourself in a table-top position arms under your shoulders and hips over your knees, tuck your chin to your chest and tighten your belly and round your back, inhale and release the stretch, then continue when you exhale) Repeat 10 to 12 times per set

These are not a full proof method of avoiding all back pain. There are other conditions, including sciatica when there is pressure on the sciatic nerve that runs through the base of the spine. This is usually because the baby is resting on the sciatic nerve. If you suspect this is the source of your persistent back pain, consult with your gynecologist.

How do (or did) you cope with back pain in your pregnancy?

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Learn more about Heather Long

Heather Long is 35 years old and currently lives in Wylie, Texas. She has been a freelance writer for six years. Her husband and she met while working together at America Online over ten years ago.

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